Historical Background of the New Testament (Part 6): Roman Domination

As an aid to reconfiguring our interpretive perception, following is a chronological listing of recognized authority figures around whom the New Testament was constructed.

Roman Emperors in New Testament Times

Emperor	Full Name	Reign	NT Reference
Augustus	Gaius Octavian[us] Thurinus	Jan. 27 BC–Aug. AD 14	Luke 2:1
Tiberius	Tiberius Claudius Nero	Sept. 14–March 37	Mark 12:16; Luke 3:1
Caligula	Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus	March 37–Jan. 41
Claudius	Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus	Jan. 41–Oct. 54	Acts11:28;17:7; 18:2
Nero	Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus	Oct. 54–June 68	Acts 25:8ff; Phil. 4:22
Galba	Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar Augustus	June 68–Jan. 69
Otho	Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus	Jan.–April 69
Vitellius	Aulus Vitellius Germanicus Augustus	April–Dec. 69
Vespasian	Titus Flavius Vespasianus	July 69–June 79	(Luke 21:20)
Titus	Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus	June 79–Sept. 81
Domitian	Titus Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus	Sept. 81–Sept. 96	(Rev. 13:4)

New Testament History Concurrent with Roman Emperors

Emperor	New Testament History
Augustus	Matt. 1:18–2:23; Luke 1:5–2:52
Tiberius	Matt. 3:1–28:20; Mark 1:4–16:20; Luke 3:1–24:53; John 1:6–21:25; Acts 1:1–9:31
Caligula	Acts 9:32–11:18
Claudius	Acts 11:19–19:9; James, 1-2 Thessalonians, Galatians
Nero	Acts 19:10–28:31; 1-2 Corinthians, Romans, Paul’s Prison Epistles and Pastorals,  1-2 Peter, Jude(?)
Galba	Hebrews?
Otho	Hebrews?
Vitellius	Hebrews?
Vespasian	Prophecy fulfilled: Matt. 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6, 20
Titus
Domitian	John’s Epistles and Revelation

Other Administrative Officials in the New Testament

The highest civil magistrates in a Roman colony were the stratēgoí, as stationed at Philippi (Acts 16:19-20a, 22, 35, 38). In Thessalonica the city rulers were “politarchs” [politárchas] (Acts 17:6, 8), while in Ephesus they were “asiarchs” [asiarchōn] (Acts 19:31). The city “clerk” or “secretary” [grammateús] was an influential figure (Acts 19:35), and the Ephesians had their own courts and lawful assemblies (Acts 19:38-39).¹

Provinces regarded as peaceful and loyal to Rome were overseen by a proconsul. Provinces whose commitment was weak or questionable, typically on the frontiers, were governed by a legate or military prefect or procurator. At times client kings were permitted administrative power.

Ruler	Title	Territory	Reign	NT Reference
Herod the Great	King	Judea	37-4 BC	Matt. 2:1
Archelaus	Ethnarch	Judea	4 BC-AD 6	Matt. 2:22
Herod Antipas	Tetrarch	Galilee-Perea	4 BC-AD 39	Mark 6:14; Luke 13:32
Philip II	Tetrarch	Northern territories	4 BC-AD 34	Mark 6:17
Pontius Pilate	Prefect	Judea	AD 26-36	Luke 3:1; 13:1; 21:1
Herod Agrippa I	King	Judea	AD 41-44	Acts 12:1-23
Sergius Paulus2	Proconsul	Cyprus	AD 44	Acts 13:7-12
Herod Agrippa II	King	North + Galilee-Perea	AD 50-93	Acts 25:13–26:32
Gallio	Proconsul	Achaia	AD 51-52	Acts 18:12
Antonius Felix	Procurator	Judea	AD 52-58	Acts 23:26–24:27
Porcius Festus	Procurator	Judea	AD 58-62	Acts 24:27; 25:1

 --Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Luke curiously references the plural “proconsuls” (Acts 19:38), even though there was typically only one proconsul per city. But in the historical context Junius Silanus had been assassinated by Helius and Celer, emissaries of Nero’s mother Agrippina. Nero became emperor in the year 54, while Paul was in Ephesus, and Helius and Celer were both in charge of the emperor’s affairs in Asia, thus “proconsuls.”

    ² Herod Agrippa I died in March 44, and the Acts narrative places Sergius Paulus as the Cyprus proconsul around this general timeframe (12:20–13:7). Two Greek inscriptions discovered in northern Cyprus and a Latin inscription discovered in Rome confirm the administrative distinction of Sergius Paulus during the reign of Claudius. The Latin text places him back in Rome in the year 47 (see J. A. Fitzmyer, Acts of the Apostles 501-502; P. Schaff and D. S. Schaff, History of the Christian Church 1:733-34; B. Witherington III, Acts of the Apostles 399-400).

Related Posts: Historical Background NT Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

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